Justice delayed is justice denied. So said William Gladstone, a 19th-century British statesman, four-time prime minister and the most famous native of Liverpool - until four lads named John, Paul, George and Ringo came along to shock the world.

Some of us have been screaming for years about the hole in the Hall without the Alabama legend, the greatest pass-rushing outside linebacker of his or any other generation. He was just as dominant off the edge in the NFL as he was in the SEC, and the Pro Football Hall of Fame opened its doors to him first in 2009.

The College Football Hall of Fame was late to the party, but there should be a celebration just the same.

Everyone knows by now about unthinkable sack totals at Alabama, the 27 in 1988, the 52 for his college career. To put those 27 sacks in 1988 in perspective, the 2011 Alabama defense is considered one of the best in school history. It had 30 sacks as a unit.

For good measure, Thomas also had 44 quarterback hurries that season, which remains an Alabama record by a country mile.

Now think about this. Thomas is one of 23 Alabama players or coaches in the College Football Hall of Fame. He’s one of seven former Crimson Tide players in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and the other six played offense.

He’s just the fourth Alabama product to earn his way into both the College and Pro Football Halls. The others: Wide receiver Don Hutson from the 1930s, guard John Hannah from the 1970s and tight end Ozzie Newsome from the 1970s.

That means Derrick Thomas is the first defensive player from Alabama to be chosen for the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Follow that road to its logical conclusion, and it leads you here: Derrick Thomas is the greatest defensive player in Alabama history.

That’s not an insult to Lee Roy Jordan, Cornelius Bennett, Woodrow Lowe and others. It’s the ultimate compliment to Thomas. There have been plenty of outstanding players on that side of the ball who wore a crimson jersey and also starred in different colors at the next level, but none of them stood out quite like No. 55 in Tuscaloosa, who wore No. 58 with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Thomas left us too soon at 33 years old because of injuries he suffered in a car accident, but he left us with memories we’ll never forget. It’s nice to know the people who choose the members of the College Football Hall of Fame remembered him at last.